'Duck Dynasty's' Phil Robertson sounds off on gays, civil rights

http://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...rights-20131218,0,4998406.story#axzz2ntKZbm6S



As anyone who's watched even a few minutes of A&E's reality hit "Duck Dynasty" can tell you, Phil Robertson is a pretty conservative guy.

But in an interview published in January's GQ Magazine, the duck call inventor and Roberston family patriarch goes on record with comments about the sinfulness of gays and black people under Jim Crow that are about as forward-thinking as his Old Testament facial hair.

In the profile, an unedited Robertson sounds off on what's ailing the country during a trip through the Louisiana backwoods.

“Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men,” he tells reporter Drew Magary. “Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers—they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.”

He also muses rather colorfully about his own sexual orientation: “It seems like, to me, a vagina—as a man—would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical.”

In a quote that may raise even more eyebrows than his feelings about gays, Robertson claims he "never" saw black people mistreated during the pre-civil rights era in his home state, and strongly suggests that African Americans were more content under Jim Crow.

"Where we lived was all farmers. The blacks worked for the farmers. I hoed cotton with them. I'm with the blacks, because we're white trash," he said. "They're singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, ‘I tell you what: These doggone white people’—not a word!... Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.”

Robertson also shares an interesting rationale for voting for Mitt Romney over President Obama, saying he favored the candidate because he was from Salt Lake City, a safer city than Chicago. "Where would I rather be turned around at 3 o'clock in the morning?" he said. As Magary points out, Romney, though a Mormon, hails from Boston.

The Robertsons, particularly Phil, are outspoken about their Christian faith (each episode of "Duck Dynasty" ends with a prayer) and have also campaigned for Republicans, but their show, a hit in red and blue states alike, is largely nonpolitical and has so far carefully avoided issues such as race and gay rights.

The comments could prove to be a headache for A&E, which has a ratings winner in "Duck Dynasty." The August season premiere of the technically unscripted (if carefully edited) series garnered 11.8 million viewers, setting a record for a nonfiction cable program, and it regularly beats out many shows on broadcast. Season 5 is set to bow Jan. 15.

A&E was not immediately available for comment.

 

He's a fucking idiot. What else is new? :rock::rock:

 

I don't agree with this man, but this interview stinks of a setup.

Why would you ask a man in his 60's from the south about gays and blacks? Unless your hoping to get him to say some controversial things.

 

This.

I love this show. But, coming from the time and place he comes from? I'm not surprised. I know one of them adopted a black child. So, I don't think they are completely racist. However, this is what you get from old, Christian, rednecks. Whoever did the interview had to know that was coming.

Shit, I'd be surprised if he wasn't racist or homophobic.

 

"Where we lived was all farmers. The blacks worked for the farmers. I hoed cotton with them. I'm with the blacks, because we're white trash," he said. "They're singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, ‘I tell you what: These doggone white people’—not a word!... Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.”

LOL. Still laughing. I couldn't tell if he was being serious or not, until I realized this was the G-rated version IMO of what this dude REALLY thinks.

 

I guess he was referring to the sharecroppers where black and white worked in the fields. This is what happens when an interviewer, the reader, viewer, and listener gets when you tickle the Dragon's tail. It is a setup, of course because people are curious to know what a person really thinks. Some folks eat it up. Phil Robertson was asked and he responded as honestly as he could. Robertson seems like a very unapologetic man It is Paula Deen all over again.

 

I have never watched Duck Dynasty but I have noticed that everyone is interviewing them...they were on Barbara Walters special the 10 most fascinating people

I think that this program has the largest following of any non scripted show on television...I completely agree that Phil and Uncle Cy are unapologetic men that are going to tell you exactly how they see things from their perspective growing up in the south...they were dirt poor...it was one of their son's that came up with the idea of doing the show as well as building the duck call industry...this family is now worth 80 million dollars

I don't think you can even compare them to Paula Deen or her situation...one might say Paula Deen should have known better...no one is going to say that about the older generation of the Robertson family...

the interview was absolutely a trap...asking Phil and Cy to be PC is just not ever going to happen...they are set in their ways and not trying to learn too much...I do not however see this family as being mean spirited at all...

 

You know what is very telling about our society?

Every article talking about this, on the mainstream internet is completely focused on the 'homophobic' part of his rant. And most articles don't even mention the racist part.

 

they are protecting them because they don't want to see it blow up the way the Paula Deen story grabbed headlines...Paula Deen was an easy target...but you want to see a backlash if they go after the Robertson family for being racist...you just might see a civil war erupt

 

Lets not forget the impunity that jim crow bestowed upon people like this guy. Let's not forget how brutal and petty he and his boys would be toward gays for being gay or toward any blacks who got "uppity" if he had his way. Back in the day, he never heard a black person complain because back then there would be repercussions for saying "These doggone white people".

It's also important to point out the fact that he's probably never directly heard contemporary black people say anything like that. Even when black folk are among black folk only, race doesn't come up much as a topic (except in passing).

If you were to ask him for specifics of shit that he's heard (other than that brought to him through the conscious filter of nonblack people in media), he would be stumped and stammer and try to divert the conversation to something else

The idea that black people "sit around and complain about white people" is a fantasy people use to justify their own grudges. If black people talked about race as much as other people say we do (that is, addressed the problems more deliberately and analytically), we'd likely have more problems solved than we do.

Instead, it's largely taboo. Today's black people for the most part have bought into the attitude that it's all about "moving on" (in spite of the fact that there are still very real barriers to simply "moving on"). They've had that idea ground into them that citing "racism" is "making excuses". You could move heaven and earth, but if you speak about racism, you're "making excuses" and most -- yes most -- workaday black people will be turned off.

That's not a good thing in my opinion, but it's true.

tldr: fuck this guy. I hope there's pushback to his comments, advertisers flee and he loses his show for his own stupidity (and subsequently shoots himself like he does those poor animals)

 

just because we don't agree with someones comments does not mean they are wrong. it's a free country and Phil has a right to his opinions no matter how right or wrong in our eyes it may be.

this country is a mess, how can we claim to be a free country but want someones lively hood diminished because they have a belief that doesn't match ours?

the funny part is, and this is just my opinion... people should be more focused on their own lives than worried about what comes out of someones mouth.

 

Oh pardon me, maybe I put it wrong. What I really meant to say was gays and blacks should exercise their free will and freedom of speech to make it known that they will boycott advertisers who support this bigot's show.

And advertisers should exercise their free will to avoid losses, and flee from his show.

Then "phil" should exercise his gun rights and put a bullet in his head. And let the ducks enjoy their freedom too.

His comments are wrong-headed. They're a step away from endorsing oppression, like jim crow and marginalization and assault against homosexuals. He doesn't deserve defending - especially not by black people.

You're worried about what the country is becoming. You should also be aware of what it once was. It could become that again.

That's a meaningless statement. Are you saying he's right? Then what are you saying?

Jim crow included state-sponsored terror. Black people were terrorized into submission. The price of your current piddling "freedom" is eternal vigilance. Stop defending people who would turn back the clock if they could. There are enough people who would defend this guy.

 

That's what the network deserves for putting those dirty peckerwoods on TV in the first place.

Too bad he didnt slam Jews...we'd get to see that white trash burn to be seen for miles around.

 

:smt039:smt039:smt039

 

In no way am I defending the guys beliefs, I am defending him as a person with the right to say whatever he wants just like the rest of us.

I read an article about this and it sums of what my point is.

hahahaha, and you think this guy has even a small part of making it what it once was? wrong! if anything all the rappers are to blame for it going back to what it was by making songs with the N word and non black people singing that word.

i am curious to know your opinion on the thread below.
http://www.whitewomenblackmen.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24964

 

You mean one type of free speech trumps another? That is, it's okay for him to basically advocate jim crow and forcing gays into the shadows, but it's NOT okay for people to use their free speech to rally against him? :roll:

Free speech is a double edged sword. Say something stupid from a prominent platform like Phil's and people will (hopefully) use their free speech to rally against you.

Bullies should be rallied against, especially when they have a platform to make their visions a reality -and- as importantly, something to lose... something the anti-bully crowd can take from them :mrgreen:

Hurt 'em! :smt106 :smt096

And your statement about rappers and the "n-word" is way too naive for me to take seriously.

 

again, you're missing my initial point and I definitely see yours. My original response to you was in regards to your comment about his advertisers fleeing and him losing his show.

how about this...

just because a chicken is a chicken and the duck doesn't like the belief of the chicken should the duck go out of his way to make it so the chicken cant eat? ahh never-mind its to naive for you to take seriously.

 

he would if he could. But you'd have a more definite answer if you walk amongst his people for minute. Exercise your right to free travel, and take a stroll through the louisiana backwoods where phil comes from. You might get a taste of that jim crow that made black people so happy back in the day

That thread's premise is misleading ("Suge Knight -- Call Me a Ni**a, NOT an African American").

Sug is an idiot, but he's not inviting people to call him nigger. Not sure if i have his quote exact, but he said "if someone says it around me, that's one thing" and "other people can't say it to me".

Plus, again, why does sug knight represent me? Should sug dictate how the world treats my kids? Obviously not. If sug - one individual - has that kinda weight, maybe the world should give me that weight instead.

If sug is the reason we should all be in chains and hanging from trees, then I guess you - the upstanding black man - are the reason we should all be treated preferentially.

...So which is it? Sug counts, but you don't? So there, that's my opinion on that thread..

 

Free speech is a double-edged sword, my friend. Say something that advocates unfairness toward others and you can expect them to use their free speech to shut you down.

Freedom is like that. The opposite is what Phil pines for- the days when black people were afraid to speak up and had no recourse against bullies like him

Are you defending him because you're christian and you believe what he has to say about gays? If you have the courage of your convictions, you'll be honest here. Then I'll chop down your argument like tender spring sapling :mrgreen:

 

ah hahahahaha. I want some of what you are smoking, do you dab?

If you were asking me why I am defending his rights, and not defending him by what he said then you sir either did not read what I wrote or you did not understand what I wrote. Cut all the bs and long posts.

you like others on this forum are big on trying to shove what you think and why you think you are right and fail to realize what other people post and why they post.

:: drops the mic on the floor ::